Tormented Atul Bhatt's death sparked calls today for a probe into an under fire social services department.

Atul, 37, died after he crashed more than 15ft from his sheltered home on July 10, 1999.

The bright university graduate suffered a fractured skull and extensive brain injuries and died the next day at Newcastle General Hospital after his family agreed to turn his life support machine off.

At an inquest into Atul's death Newcastle coroner David Mitford recorded an open verdict and recommended improvements to care in the community services.

Mr Mitford spoke out after hearing the safety device on the window through which Atul plunged was faulty and that Atul's care staff had failed to alert hospital doctors of his worsening mental state.

Brother Anil Bhatt, 44, said: "The family wants social services to stand up and admit responsibility so no one else will be put in the position of this family."

The inquest findings come after last night's Chronicle in which we revealed how seven-month-old Corey Raine was battered to death by his disturbed mum Sarah Allison, despite being under the care of social workers also from Sunderland City Council.

The council's Director of Social Services, John Marsden, said today that he would act as soon as he received the coroner's recommendations and said that staff training had been improved.

After the fall from Atul's care home in Longfellow Street, Houghton-le-Spring, officials told his family he had taken his own life. But they remained unconvinced and launched their own private investigation.

And after fighting for nearly two years and spending more than #30,000 of their own cash a full inquest with a jury was held into his death.

The Newcastle inquest heard how Atul had suffered a heart attack shortly after his birth which left him severely weakened down the left-hand side of his body.

He had dozens of operations throughout his childhood, but battled on to graduate with a degree in Economics and Accounting from Newcastle University in July 1983.

But after nearly ten years' service at Lloyd's Bank he left the company suffering from headaches and mood swings.

Dad Jitendra, 71, a retired science teacher and lecturer, said: "He was always such a polite boy when he was growing up but then he started to change.

"When talking he would become very verbally aggressive and try and shout you down.

"One minute he would be on top of the world, full of plans to do all sorts of things such as learnng a new language and travelling to find his roots in India.

"But there were also times when he would just sit in his room and listen to his music.

"He would get up in the middle of the night, go off walking for hours and then turn up at the other end of the country."

Atul was diagnosed with bi-polar depression, a form of manic depression and was treated at home by a mental health team.

And in November 1998 he joined the Wellfield rehabilitation project, part of Sunderland's Cherry Knowle hospital, where he lived, monitored constantly by live-in staff.

Mum Kusum, 64, a retired social worker, said: "He was happy at Wellfield and so were we. He had the freedom to get out and about but we always knew he was getting well looked after. And he was close to us and could come home whenever he wanted.

"He was on the right kind of treatment and he was making plans again. He had stopped going on long walks and shutting everyone out and he was getting back to being his normal, wonderful, warm self."

But fears that Atul was becoming institutionalised saw him moved in May 1999 to cluster-housing on Longfellow Street, where he lived with other mentally ill patients but within easy reach of carers living next door.

And it was here that Atul's mental health began to deteriorate again and he made at least two attempts to take his own life.

Mr Bhatt, of Dovedale Road, near East Boldon, South Tyneside, said: "We feel that Atul was not getting the suport he wanted and he was beginning to feel isolated.

"The new home was further away from our family home and the level of care was reduced."

The day before Atul fell from his bedroom window he spoke to a residential carer at the home about how low he felt and said he could not guarantee his own safety.

He was sent to see a specialist a Cherry Knowle hospital but no one at the home informed the hospital and he was sent back to Longfellow Street where carers left him alone.

He was discovered the next morning by a neighbour beneath the open window of his home lying in a pool of blood. Officials said he had killed himself but the family were convinced there was more to it and began their personal quest for the truth.

After the inquest, coroner Mr Mitford said he would be contacting Sunderland City Council to make sure properties were more suitable for mentally ill people and that social services staff were better trained.

He said: "There are a number of areas that need to be looked at particularly communication between the hospital and social services

"The design and suitability of the window has already been looked at but I would invite them to look at it again

"And it would also be appropriate to look at the training of future employees."

City of Sunderland Director of Social Services John Marsden said he had not yet heard from the coroner and was reluctant to say much more until he had received a letter.

He said: "Remember, this tragic death happened in 1999. Communications between the hospital and ourselves have improved.

"Following the accident, we looked at the security of windows with our Property Services and the safety device appeared to be adequate.

"In the light of the coroner's views, we are taking a further look at this security issue with the Sunderland Housing Group.

"There has been a massive expansion of community care since 1999, particularly for people suffering mental health problems and there has been a significant improvement in our community and NVQ training programme."

The inquest jury heard how the window through which Mr Bhatt had fallen had been opened beyond a safety mechanism.

Special needs building expert James Grood said the building at Longfellow Street was unsuitable for a man with Atul's mental and physical problems.

Mr Grood said: "The safe window opening gap is 10cm for homes registered by social services for the elderly, mentally ill and children, but the gap was more than 30cm wide.

"The safety features did not comply with safety guidelines and the windowsill was lower than guidelines suggested for registered properties."

But an ex-social services Health and Safety Officer said the house was suitable for Atul because he had been placed in a minimum risk category and only required partial supervision.

Paul Scooler said: "In this case the house needed to be no different from a normal domestic property and while to say he simply fell out is possible it is bizarre and unlikely."

Throughout the investigation into Atul's death and during the inquest the family employed the services of a top London barrister to conduct their case in front of the jury of five women and three men.

They spent more than #30,000 but the family feel that the time and money invested was worthwhile.

Mrs Bhatt said: "We had to work long and hard to make sure this inquest was heard and that the failures of the social services department were made clear.

"We feel that without our effort and money these facts would not have come to light and that cannot be right.

"It took a long time and a lot of investigation by us and no-one else to get this inquest heard."

A spokesman forMr Mitford said: "An open verdict is recorded when the coroner, or in this case the jury, feel the evidence heard is not sufficient to categorise death in one of the other verdicts open to them like suicide or accidental death.

"The inquest hearing was delayed for so long because once the family felt they were not ready to present the evidence that they had collected independently, and secondly when Mr Bhatt snr was taken unwell.

"We have not be made aware of any displeasure about the way the inquest was handled.

"And the coroner will be writing to the social services department at Sunderland very soon outlining the points he feels need attention.

"Because it is an open verdict if more evidence arises surrounding Mr Bhatt's death then another inquest could be ordered.

"And of course the Bhatt family would have access to other legal action if they see fit. The job of the coroner is not to apportion blame and if they wanted to seek a civil action they could do so."

The family is now taking legal advice on whether to pursue a civil action in the near future.